26 August 2016, Noida (India): India’s largest global flexible packaging solution company, Uflex Limited has been working towards expanding the reach of its Flexfresh™ Liner Bags to improve product availability and offer better shelf life extension solution for fresh produce.
One of the major Tropical Fruits is Papaya with exceptional nutritional benefits to the consumer. It is rich in Carotenes, Vitamin C, Antioxidants, Flavonoids and several other minerals. It lowers Cholesterol, helps in Weight Loss, Boosts Immunity amongst several other health benefits.
More than 50% of the world’s Papaya is produced in Asia, followed by South America with around 20% of the production. USA is the largest importer of Papaya from South America with import volumes of around 200,000 Tons annually. India is the largest producer of Papaya in the world with almost 40% papaya produced, with a very high domestic consumption of the fruit.
Perfotec and Uflex have been working with Fresh Produce growers to maximize Shelf life using Active Modified Atmosphere Packaging (AMAP) solution. The solutions deliver the best quality produce to the markets with possibility of moving away from Air shipments and switching to Sea Shipments there by improving availability and also ensuring continuity in the supply chain making the product affordable for the consumers by cutting on expensive Air Freight simultaneously reducing the wastage.
Perfotec and Uflex jointly performed trials in India as well as Holland with Leading Growers and Importers to determine the possible Shelf life extension solution for Papaya.
Fast Respiration Meter from Perfotec was used to determine the Rate of Respiration under the Supply Chain temperature of 10° C and the transmission determined to maintain ideal Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide inside the liner bags to maintain Freshness and extend Shelf life.
“Trials were conducted with 60*40 Flexfresh™ Liner Bags in open top corrugated boxes. Product was packed in semi ripe condition in warm condition in the liner bags and were hermetically closed and moved to the Cold Store. By using Flexfresh™ Liner Bags the product remains dry and registers a very low weight loss, due to the hydrated environment inside the bag. Flexfresh™ does not allow condensation due to its unique proprietary formulation giving a major relief to exporters against Bacterial and Fungal infections. With the Biodegradability of the Liner Bag, it is a perfect sustainable solution,” explained N. Siva Shankaran Vice President - Flexfresh™ at Uflex.
Explaining the results, Mr. Ashok Chaturvedi, Chairman and Managing Director, Uflex Ltd., said that the major benefit of using the Flexfresh™ Liner bags is the possibility of having an elevated Carbon Dioxide level which prevented yellowing of the fruit and maintained firmness to the fruit quality. He added that growers could attain a shelf life of 30 Days for Papaya using the Flexfresh™ Liner Bags.
Terming this as an important milestone in Shelf Life extension and market accessibility Mr. Bas Groeneweg, Director, Perfotec BV informed that with the health benefits of Papaya, Flexfresh™ Liner Bags will deliver good quality fruit around the year. With major health benefits of Papaya, we should see more imports in to Europe he added.
Perfotec and Uflex have been building a strong distribution network across the world to cater to the needs of Flexfresh™ across Fresh Produce growing regions.
Visit Uflex and Perfotec at Asia Fruit Logistica, Hong Kong; 7-9 Sep 2016; Hall 3, Stall T-39
About Uflex
Uflex is India’s largest end-to-end flexible packaging company and an emerging global player. Since its inception back in 1983, Uflex has grown from strength to strength to evolve as a truly Indian Multinational with consumers spread across the world. Uflex today has state-of-the-art packaging facilities at multiple locations in India with installed capacity of around 100,000 TPA and has packaging film manufacturing facilities in India, UAE, Mexico Egypt, Poland and USA with cumulative installed capacity in excess of 337,000 TPA.
All Uflex plants are accredited with ISO 9001, 14001, HACCP & BRC certifications. Uflex caters to markets spanning across the globe in over 140 countries like USA, Canada, South American countries, UK and other European Countries, Russia, South Africa, CIS, Asian and African nations. Integrated within its core business profile are allied businesses like Engineering, Cylinders, Holography and Chemicals which further give Uflex a superior edge above competition.
Uflex Limited is also a part of the D&B Global Database and winner of various prestigious national and international awards for its products’ excellence. Uflex offers technologically superior packaging solutions for a wide variety of products such as snack foods, candy and confectionery, sugar, rice & other cereals, beverages, tea & coffee, dessert mixes, noodles, wheat flour, soaps and detergents, shampoos & conditioners, vegetable oil, spices, marinates & pastes, cheese & dairy products, frozen food, sea food, meat, anti-fog, pet food, pharmaceuticals, contraceptives, garden fertilizers and plant nutrients, motor oil and lubricants, automotive and engineering components etc.
Some of Uflex’s clients on the global turf include P&G, PepsiCo; Tata Global; Mondelez, L’ Oreal, Britannia, Haldiram’s, Amul, Kimberly Clark, Ferro Rocher, Perfetti, GSK, Nestle, Agrotech Foods, Coca Cola, Wrigley, Johnson & Johnson among others.
